


Pre-War Recs

by fanrecfridays



Series: Steve/Bucky Fan Rec Fridays Masterlists [67]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-War, Rec list
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:09:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24850591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanrecfridays/pseuds/fanrecfridays
Summary: This rec list was originally compiled by members of the Steve/Bucky(18+) Discord server in June 2019.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Steve/Bucky Fan Rec Fridays Masterlists [67]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779550
Kudos: 2





	Pre-War Recs

Pre-war fics are a great opportunity to explore Bucky & Steve as they were before the war—maybe a little more hopeful, maybe a little unmoored as they try to navigate their relationship and themselves in the context of the era.

An extra warning, as “Period-Typical Homophobia” is a pretty common tag in this trope, but it’s also hopeful in the spirit of Pride: We have always been here. We will always be here.

## Steve/Bucky Pre-War Fic Recs

**Title:** Accidentally on Purpose  
 **Why:** Drunken kissing leading to … more.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/2251440>

**Title:** All The Angels and the Saints  
 **Why:** It’s one of the first fics I point people to when they’re new to the fandom, for good reason: the way Bucky and Steve react to each other, figuring out their relationship to themselves and each other and the church, hits a lot of what I love in this fandom. The fic includes the war and extends into the present day, but so many lines from this fic have stayed with me in my ongoing characterization of these two. Definitely a formative one for me in this fandom.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/2439302>

**Title:** Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen  
 **Why:** It's got a great Bucky who's sort of gently clueless but determined in a way that's very endearing, and it provides a good look not just at Bucky and Steve's specific relationship and how it develops from mutual pining, but also how they fit into the larger queer community around them.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/1962816>

**Title:** Exactly Like We Were  
 **Why:** really interesting one-shot about their lives together before bucky leaves. They discuss art and war and they dance and argue and it's gorgeous. I'd forgotten about this one and I was so glad to re-read it.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/6952954>

**Title:** Fever Dream  
 **Why:** I love this one as a deeper dive into things like environment and the feel of their relationship before the war: Bucky’s quiet caring and silent desperation, Steve’s continuous scramble to both stay alive and leave a mark on the world. This fic is holistically great: I find the writing just beautiful, the pull of their longing for each other is palpable, and the way it ends is that kind of bittersweet foreboding that I find so alluring in prewar fics. Just a lovely glance at a single year of their lives, just before Bucky ships out. An extra warning for some self-loathing from Bucky on this one.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/3189809>

**Title:** a fighter by his trade  
 **Why:** more of Bucky boxing, and Steve helping fix him up after and one thing leads to another… It's their first time, it's very sweet  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/14193690>

**Title:** Fingers on paper skin  
 **Why:** a short, lovely fic where Steve's been hiding his sketches of bucky for years, and Bucky finds them  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/7418512>

**Title:** Four Dollar Memory  
 **Why:** I like this one before it starts earlier than a lot of prewar fics do—in 1934, giving us a glimpse into Bucky and Steve’s relationship as teenagers as they’re trying to solve the simple problem of rats without very much money to throw at the problem. It’s a beautiful coming of age story as Steve and Bucky feel out their boundaries with each other, trying to help each other, Steve’s anxiety around money and family becoming defining for them both. Another one where the writing just strikes me as gorgeous, where you get a really strong sense of environment and atmosphere. (This fic standalone I think is technically pre-slash.)  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/2041107>

**Title:** Guns Not Butter  
 **Why:** A down-at-the-docks classic. GOTTA MAKE RENT SOMEHOW!  
¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
(aka old timey prostitution fic)  
(Probably my favorite trope)  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/1847953>

**Title:** Ill With Want  
 **Why:** A recent fic that could be summarized in the same way as Pure as the driven slush (recced below) but it’s an entirely different telling of the same thing  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/17893166>

**Title:** i’ve been waiting for the sun (to rise where you are)  
 **Why:** Bucky comes home with some love bites and Steve gets territorial in a very fun and creative way.  
 **Why 2:** I was going to rec this, it's amazing and absolutely incendiary.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/15940763>

**Title:** January 2nd, 1938  
 **Why:** Short and sweet, but with a lot of depth - hinting at the upcoming war and the homophobia of the era while reveling in the comfortable, playful banter of long-time friends in love  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/13247472>

**Title:** On the Ropes  
 **Why:** Illegal boxing and bisexuals! It’s truly like, top tier pre-war esp wrt well researched 1940’s NY and the queer scene at the time. Incredibly well written too. Definitely heed the tags though!  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/15517281>

**Title:** Parietal Art  
 **Why:** This one goes through the whole timeline, but the prewar bit is vivid. Tattoos!  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/11363217>

**Title:** Pure as the driven slush  
 **Why:** Ok because I was screaming about this one yesterday… Bucky finds out that Steve has been going to queer bars and it takes him much too long to realize how he feels about that  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/881621>

**Title:** Secondhand Source  
 **Why:** Bucky has Feelings about Steve fucking all these random men, and the solution, apparently, is to get Steve's sloppy seconds. Lots of Steve and Bucky, separately, with OMCs, before ending in Stucky. I've prob recced this before but I seek to spread the gospel of this utter filth as far and as wide (ba-dum-tsch) as possible.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/4059097/>

**Title:** you, the moon  
 **Why:** THIS IS SO CHARMING. In a way this mirrors the rec above, but in this case Steve is the one moving from pining to action, and he's so delighted with himself when it pays off. This one starts pre-war but has a post-TWS coda that maintains the gently upbeat tone.  
 **Link:** <https://archiveofourown.org/works/7881316>

## Steve/Bucky Pre-War Fanart Recs

Keep the couch and the cushions, too, ok, pal: <https://crowthis.tumblr.com/post/87560786985/keep-the-cushions-and-the-couch-too-ok-pal>

NSFW Having sex: <https://risowator.tumblr.com/post/152244370662>  
SFWish closeup: <https://risowator.tumblr.com/post/153675035472>

Poor Bucky: <https://batcii.tumblr.com/post/88269017573/poor-bucky-going-places-with-pre-serum-steve>

Photo booth 1939: <https://eyesoffelina.tumblr.com/post/143403358049/photo-booth-1939>

Once upon a time in America: <https://phantasmagoriablog.tumblr.com/post/164398126867/once-apon-a-time-in-america>

Pre-serum Stucky: <https://mzuul.tumblr.com/post/177324336701/happy-late-birthday-to-chaser-really-here-is>

Nobody ever teaches you how to deal with drunk pining artists: <https://stuckyfanart.tumblr.com/post/165821646922/faun-songs-nobody-ever-teaches-you-how-to-deal>

Sarah Rogers with her troublemakers: <https://stevenbuckys.tumblr.com/post/182363653695/offtide-sarah-rogers-had-the-patience-of-a>

Pre-war Steve and Bucky: <https://thewilfling.tumblr.com/post/178510988236/a-little-pre-war-stucky-commission-i-did-for>

Dancing pre-serum Steve and Bucky: <https://gobirdiego.tumblr.com/post/178597755883/dancingpre-serum-steve>

1930s Steve and Bucky: <https://esaael.tumblr.com/post/177584397759/codenamefinlandia-backroad-bros-some-very>

Steve knows exactly what he's doing with you tonight, Bucky: <https://esaael.tumblr.com/post/170053762979/bluandorange-wow-i-pounded-my-head-against-this>

Valentines since the 30s and still going strong: <https://thewilfling.tumblr.com/post/182815395031>

NSFW Pre-war Steve and Bucky: <https://www.deviantart.com/taking-meds/art/Bucky-Skinny-Steve-Stucky-634445848>

Pre-serum Stucky kissing: <https://www.deviantart.com/less39/art/pre-serum-stucky-484827914>

Just kids from Brooklyn: <https://www.deviantart.com/gassada/art/Just-Kids-From-Brooklyn-570994394>

I like your style: <https://galwednesday.tumblr.com/post/169510230370/bluandorange-i-like-your-style-from-the-musical>

Stucky kiss it better: <https://www.deviantart.com/ignitedabomb/art/Stucky-Kiss-It-Better-723147094>

Pre-war: <https://www.deviantart.com/drowningbydegrees/art/Prewar-711999948>

Thanks to everyone who added recs for this theme!


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